A Charmed Life
by Dragonfly-Moonlight
Summary: preseries ficlet. Chrono's life before he met Rosette and Joshua. Oh, the temptation!
1. Chapter 1

This is the story about an angel. An angel named Chrono. An angel who became a sinner and thus was marked for all eternity.

Chrono.

--

"Get him!"

Long hair trailed behind him as he ran. Behind him was an angry mob of humans, torches and pitchforks in hand.

'Lovely mess you've gotten yourself into _this_ time, Chrono,' he berated himself. 'Should have known better. Stupid, stupid, stupid!'

The self-recrimination continued as he ran on. Of course, the humans that chased him had no idea as to what he really was. All they knew was that he was some strange-looking, poor beggar that had become a thief. In order to sustain himself, Chrono had stolen a loaf of bread from a woman's windowsill. He hadn't expected to get caught, though.

'If I just keep running, they'll stop,' he reasoned. 'That's what they've done before.'

Sure enough, after he'd managed to keep outrunning the villagers, they soon stopped chasing and began to head back to their homes. Chrono paused for a moment to watch them go. When it didn't appear they'd continue to follow him or that they were watching him, he quickly ducked into the forest. Weaving around trees and sometimes jumping into them, Chrono continued this just to be on the safe side. He never knew when a curious human would happen upon him. Once he felt safe enough, deep within the heart of the forest, Chrono stopped. Glancing around quickly, he then sat down and pulled out the loaf of bread he had snitched from the village. Smiling and quite pleased with what he had managed to accomplish, he began to devour the bread until there was nothing left.

As soon as the bread was gone, Chrono leaned back against the tree, his hands behind his head and his fingers intertwined. A heavy sigh escaped him as he gazed at the sky.

It was always the same. Each village he came across always offered something delightful in the way of food for him. However, he never had any money with him. Because of his pointed ears, which he'd never been able to hide, no one wanted to hire him for any kind of work. He'd skulk around for a bit, steal some food here and there, and make sure he never got caught. After the first several thieving attempts, he'd get confident . . . and sloppy. There was also an underlying guilt when it came to his thieving. He was stealing food from someone, taking away from a family, and he hated himself for it. This time was no exception.

'There has to be something out there for me,' he sighed. 'There just has to be.'

He reached into his vest pocket and pulled a round, golden object. Rolling it around in his hand, Chrono gazed at it. He knew what it was, knew what it could do for him . . . and he despised it.

'No . . . I won't resort to this,' he told himself resolutely. 'I won't.'

Quickly, Chrono shoved it back into his vest pocket and went back to gazing at the sky. Something better was out there. He just knew it.

'And I'll find it. I know I will. And I won't have to that damned object. I'll be free. I won't have to drain someone's life away . . .'

Heaving another sigh, Chrono closed his eyes and allowed sleep to claim him, unaware of the fate that would be calling out to him . . .


	2. Chapter 2

At night, he would dream.

He would dream of a better life, one where he didn't have to worry about food or seeking shelter at night . . . he was back in heaven. Somehow, he had redeemed himself in the eyes of God and he felt safe, secure . . . wanted.

Mornings were a different story. Each time, he woke up and he'd realize that he'd been dreaming, a tree root boring into his back.

This morning had been no different. Weeks had gone by since he'd stolen that loaf of bread and since he'd actually had anything real to eat. Nuts and berries but nothing solid.

'Can't be helped,' he thought wearily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 'At least . . . not until the next village.'

The next village . . . he didn't even know where the next village happened to be. At least . . . one that didn't have residents who could recognize him. It was becoming harder and harder for him to survive. The forest he stayed in didn't have much in the way of wild game – he had yet to see anything larger than a bird or a squirrel – and the weather was starting to change, making it impossible to find a plentiful supply of the nuts and berries he'd been living off of.

As he sat up and stretched his muscles out, Chrono reached into his pocket and pulled out his pocket watch.

He was getting desperate. He knew it. The thought of finding a partner grew stronger with each growl of his stomach.

'No!' he shook his head, shoving the pocket watch back into his jacket. 'I won't do it, I can't. It isn't right . . .'

Taking a deep breath, Chrono rose to his feet and brushed the dirt from his clothing. Another day was before him and he had a lot of distance to cover.

'I'll find what I'm looking for . . . I know it.'


End file.
